Storage spaces hide in improbable places

I once lived in a townhouse that had no storage space apart from the usual bedroom closets, kitchen cabinetry and a closet in the entrance hall. Out of necessity, we turned the place into a cabinetmaker's dream.

We built cabinets and shelving on most walls, as well as beneath windows and above doors. But the most fun came when we tore out of the bottom of the staircase and transformed the quasi-cavern into a wine-storage area.

The moral of this story is to look at improbable spaces before concluding there's no place left to store anything.

Q: My part-time job requires me to do some work at home, and so I need to add a small desk with adjoining storage compartments. Friends say it would make sense to incorporate such a combination into the kitchen cabinetry. But none of my undercounter cabinets are large enough for that kind of addition.

Can you suggest an alternative? I'm willing to have custom work done if it results in a comfortable work and storage space.

A: There's no one part of the home that's always right for adding the kind of work station you describe. It's true that the kitchen might be an efficient place for it, but so might a bedroom or a family room. What's more, many cooks would rather not be in the kitchen once preparation and cleanup are completed.

Difficulties in finding the time to do job-related work at home can also influence the decision on where to put a desk and storage unit. Perhaps you're one of those who steal a few moments while a meal is cooking. If so, the work area should probably not be on another floor but rather close to the kitchen so you'll easily be able to monitor what's happening with the food.

If a staircase is near your kitchen, consider using the space underneath it for your desk and storage compartments. That's how the alcove you see here was created. This photo comes, by the way, from a clever new book called "Making Room: Finding Space in Unexpected Places." It's written by Wendy Jordan and published by The Taunton Press.

If the desk is positioned as shown, you won't have to worry about headroom. A small work surface with drawers and a pullout tray for a laptop can easily be fitted into a space with these sorts of configurations. It also won't be a difficult area to light properly. And note that an additional portion of the newly created space under the staircase is being used to accommodate pullout file drawers. It's a creative as well as practical solution to the storage crunch, don't you agree?

Rita St. Clair is a syndicated columnist with Tribune Media Services Inc. E-mail general interior design questions to her at rsca@ritastclair.com.